“I’ve been training at full force for a while now after my trainers and doctors cleared me,” he told MMAjunkie.com after cornering teammate Marlon Sandro at Friday’s Bellator 81 event. “I got back to training right away.”

Aldo was slated to fight Edgar (an injury replacement for Erik Koch) this past month at UFC 153 in Rio de Janiero. However, Aldo injured himself in a motorcycle accident, and a subsequent infection in his foot and ankle ultimately forced him off the card completely.

Aldo hasn’t fought since January, when he scored a first-round knockout of Chad Mendes at UFC 142. It marked the former/final WEC champion’s 14th consecutive win and his fifth consecutive Zuffa title defense.

Against Edgar, who drops down a weight class for an immediate title shot, it’s admittedly a big fight, especially following a 13-month layoff.

“For me, the next opponent and the next fight are always the most important (of my career),” he said. “Now all that’s left is to keep training, show up to the fight, and win again.”